The current work begins by considering a range of common high power ultrasonic components in order to establish a standardised approach to tool design for optimum performance. The vibration behaviour of tuned components resonating longitudinally at ultrasonic frequencies around 35 kHz is modelled via finite element analysis and measured by experimental model analysis. Significant improvements in experimental validation of the models are achieved by the use of a 3D LDV, which allows modal analysis from both in-plane and out-of-plane measurement, which is critical in proposing alternative designs. The vibration characteristics of complex multiple-component systems used in ultrasonic cutting of food products are also investigated. Commonly, the design approach for ultrasonic systems neglects to account for the mutual effects of physically-coupled components in the system vibration. The design of systems also neglects the nonlinear dynamic effects which are inherent in high power systems due to the nonlinearities of piezoelectric transducers. The first issue is tackled by considering the vibration behaviour of the whole system and the influence of individual components and, particularly, offers design improvements via modification of block horns and cutting blade components, which are modelled and validated. The issue of nonlinearity is addresses by identifying the mechanisms of energy leakage into audible frequencies and characterising the common multimodal responses. For this study, design modifications focused on reducing the number of system modes occurring at frequencies below the tuned system frequency. As a consequence of these approaches, insights for the design of multiple-component systems in general are provided.